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Jake Culshaw, 26; John Martin, 20; and his brother Paul Martin, 26, were jailed for at least 88 years between them after a jury at Liverpool Crown Court found them guilty of murdering the 16-year-old on November 15 last year.

Lewis was shot in the back as he walked on a towpath by the Leeds-Liverpool canal, in Eldonian Village, by one of four men lurking under the Vauxhall/Eldonian Bridge.

As Merseyside Police launched a massive investigation into the murder – Culshaw took less than 24 hours to “collapse under the pressure” and confess to one of the vulnerable addicts he had exploited for years.

When the ECHO asked what was the key to cracking the case, Detective Superintendent Tom Keaton said: “There was a number of key bits of evidence; I think the evidence provided by Helena Albiston, of Jake Culshaw’s admissions the following day, which allowed me to move the search further up the canal to then recover the murder weapon...

“There were a number of key bits of evidence but I would like to thank the witnesses who came forward and stood up in court, which has allowed the jury to come to the right verdict and allowed the judge to sentence those three men, Culshaw, Martin and Martin, for the murder of Lewis Dunne.”

Murder victim Lewis Dunne

Ms Albiston, who said she struggled with addiction for 30 years, told the jury Culshaw had been at her flat the day after the murder, where he would regularly call round to use the shower.

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She said: “He just didn’t seem like himself, but the few days I had seen him that week he had been on the phone to a girl, and I just thought he was like that because he had been arguing with this girl...

“I said don’t worry, there’s plenty more fish in the sea, you’re a lovely lad you will soon get another girl. He said, ‘you wouldn’t say that if you knew what I had done’.”

Ms Albiston said an ITV Granada news report on the shooting appeared on her TV, showing police divers searching the canal.

She told the jury: “When it come on the news he was crying, he had tears, he said ‘my life’s over, my life’s over’.”

Ms Albiston, who wept in court, continued: “Then it come on that (Lewis) had been shot in the back, and I didn’t want to believe it. I had always known (Culshaw) as a nice lad, I had never seen him get aggressive or lose his temper... he’s always been very tame and quiet.”

She was asked by prosecutor Ian Unsworth, QC, what words Culshaw used.

Jake Culshaw was found guilty of the murder of Lewis Dunne

Ms Albiston said: “That was me, I done that, and my life’s over. And he was crying they were tears, but for himself...

“He said swear to God you won’t say nothing to no-one. And then he said something about the gun being further down the canal.”

The court heard this information was passed to police by Ms Albiston’s friend and flat-mate Janet Berry.

As a result of the information Merseyside Police dive teams extended the area they were searching, and in early January retrieved a broken up shotgun and a spent cartridge from the bottom of the canal.

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Although the tip-off did not directly implicate John and Paul Martin, Culshaw was told by detectives they had “information” that he was involved in the murder.

The interviewing officer then told Culshaw that he believed the Martins would “come forward” and name him – which the court heard may have falsely led him to believe they had betrayed him.

He later told officers John Martin had pulled the trigger.

In court Culshaw claimed his decision to “grass” meant there was a £10,000 price on his head.

He said he believed Ms Albiston had been “paid to stitch me up” by the Martins or their associates, and suggested she was scared to cross them.

But Mr Unsworth told the jury: “Of the three men Culshaw was the weakest link. Not able to withstand the pressure of the atrocity of what had happened at the canal, he unburdened himself.”

Culshaw went on to name associates in the trial, including Daniel Shepherd and Steven Garrett, who he alleged were the bosses of a Kirkdale based crack-cocaine and heroin ring which stretched over the water to Birkenhead.

Culshaw said in court he believed Shepherd may have provided the shotgun which was used to kill Lewis.

John and Paul Martin followed suit during their evidence and also alleged that Shepherd was a drug-dealer.

Describing the illicit business, John Martin denied they were a gang and said they were “just a group of lads making money together.”

He said he would make around £1,000 to £1,500 per night selling crack and heroin, keeping around £150 for himself.